Door latch



i May 6, 1930. c. J. LAW'RENCE DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 1l, 1926 ['.htsupher l Lawrence.

gwue'nfoo ""llllllluvllllln ation/0.132 I Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES CHRISTOPHER J'. LAWRENCE, OF GRAFF, MINNESOTA DOOR LATCH AppIication filed October 11, 1926. Serial No. 140,925.

The present invention relates to locking means for doors, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved door latch which is of extremely simple and durable construction, and which may be readily installed upon various types of doors for securely retaining the door in a fully closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door latch which may be readily operated from either side of the door, and which latch is of such construction as to function properly for closing of the door, regardless as to whether the door sags a considerable distance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved door latch which is of such construction as to cause the door to be drawn into tight engagement with the door jamb when the latch is in a position for retaining the door closed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved door latch construction which will not'become distorted by reason of the door being slammed either to a closed or an open position against a wall.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a pair of this specification and in which drawing Figure 1 is an outside plan view of a door and its adj acent wall construction, and showing the improved latch in position for retaining the door closed.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

vFigure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 4 4 of Figure 2 and showing the manner of mounting the latch upon the door.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sec- -has been shown applied to a door structure tional view on line 5-5 of Figure 2 and illustrating the construction of the slam hook.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the improved latch as applied to a sliding door.

In the drawing, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the example shown, the improved latch such as commonly employed in barn constructions. The door 10 is shown hingedly mounted at one side as by hinges 11, to the jamb 12 of the door casing 13. The jamb 14 of the casing 13 is provided with a stop 15 against which the free vertical edge of the door abuts when the door is in a closed position. The numeral 16 may designate a wall construction in which the casing 13 is mounted. While in the example shown, the door 10 has been shown as being of two part construction, it will of course be a parent that the improved latch may be readi y applied to various other types of swinging doors.

Referring particularly now to the improved latch, the same embodies a latch proper 16 and a co-acting keeper 17.

The latch proper 16, and which is intended to be carried by the door 10, is preferably formed from a metal rod of a suit-able gauge, and embodies a bearing portion 18 which is adapted to extend horizontally through the door at a point adjacent the free edge 19 of the door. The bearing portion 18, at a point inwardly of the door 10, is provided with a minor right angularly offset thrust portion 20 which is adapted for bearing relation upon a metal bearing plate 21 suitably secured to the inner face of the door. Extending from the thrust portion 20, and in parallel alignment therewith, is an outwardly offset handle portion 22 which is normally disposed in a depending position, and which handle portion is adapted to be grasped for operating the latch 16 from the inside of the 99 door 10. By observing Figure 4, it will be seen that by so offsetting the handle portion 22, that the operator-s fingers may be readily positioned about the handle portion when operating the latch.

Extending horizontally at the outer face of the door, in right angular relation to the bearing portion 18, and preferably at an angle of 90o from the aXis of the handle portion 22, is a latch arm or bar 23 the free end of which projects past the free edge 19 of the door. Formed at the projecting endV of. the arm portion 23, is an outwardly looped eye 24 which is adapted for engagement with the keeper 17 when the door 10 is swung to a closed position against t-hestop'15.

Mounted at the outer side of the door 10, between the mounting for the latch bearing portion 18 and free edge19 of. thetdoor, is a vertically disposed U-slaped guide 25, the lower arm' 26 of which serves for limiting downward swinging movement of the latch arm23 and also retains the handle portion 22 in its normal vertical position at the in- ,f ner side of the door. By observinglFigure t it will be seen that this guide permits of upward swinging of the free end-of the arm 23 for allowing of the outwardly looped eye 24Eto properly engage over the keeper. 17.

Referring now to the preferred construction of the keeper 17, andwhichiis adapted to co-act with the latch proper 16 for retaining the door in its closed posit-ion, the same embodies-an attaching portion27 in theform of y a threaded shank and a cam portion 28 arranged to extend upwardly from the attaching shank portion 27. This keeper 17 is securedto the jamb 14; with the shank 27 disposed in a position substantially on a hori zontalline with the lower arm 26 of the latch guide 25. lBhe-*projecting endA of the shank 27' is provided with an upwardly and inwardly formed hook portion 29 which provides a retaining pocket 30 for receiving the ,j straight free end portion of the arm 23. Projectingupwardlly. from the hookportion 29,` is an inwardly bulged eye 31, and which eye may receive the shank of a-suitable pad lock 32 when itis desirable to lock the latch proper 16 against movement upwardly offY of the keeper 17. Thus itI willy be seen that the inwardly bulgedfeye 31T serves for guiding; the treeend of the armportion 23 into the hook shaped pocket 29; By observing Figure 3 it will-be seenithattheaipper end of the cam port-ion 28;is spaced further from theouter face of the jamb 14,1than the pocket 30, and whichiconstruction;will permit of1the arm 23 to bereadily. andeasily guidedinto the pocket- 30 for yieldablyv forcing the inner surface ofthe doorf into bindingA engagement; with thej amb stop 15. In releasing the latchi 16 frointhe outside of the,door,the outwardly formed eye 2,4 will, providea suitable hand grip for raising thearm portion 23 from .its

position behind the inwardly curved cam portion 28.

Secured to the outer surface of the wall 16, and horizontally across from the keeper 17, is a slam hook 35 preferably formed of spring metal, and embodying an outwardly extending horizontal portion 36 and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined stop portion 37 which extends from the outer end of the hori- Zontal portion 36 to a position with its upper end spaced from the face of the wall 16. This hook 35 aside from engaging the latch arm23 for retaining the door` in an open position against the wall 16, also serves for preventing the door from slamming against the-wall'16 and resulting in possible distortion of the latch proper 16 for pulling the door loose from its hinged connection with the casing 13. When the door 10 swings toward the wall 16', the eye 24 of the latch proper will engage the inclined stop portion 37 of the slain hoo-k, and ride upwardly therealong and then drop to alocked position behind the portion 37 as indicated inFigure 5. The latch 16 upon striking the hook 35 will cause the stop portion 37 to yield and thus prevent the door 10 from striking the wall 16 with any appreciable force.

Referring particularlyfnow to the attachment of the latch to a sliding type of door as illustrated in Figure 6, the latch proper 16 is mounted in a like manner as-that in Figures 1 to jinclusive, upon the sliding door 40, and which door may abut against a suitable stop 11 carried by the jamb 42. With this construction,it will be seen that the cam face of the cam portion 28 of the keeper 17, will force the inner side of the door 40 into, tight engagement with the outer face of the jarnb 42.

It is believed to be readily apparent the manner in which the latch proper 16 maybe releasedfrom the keeper 17 from either the inside or, outside of the door. It will also be apparent the manner inwhich the inwardly bulged cani portion 28 will guide and retain the projecting end of the latch arm 23 in enga gement in the pocket 30 provided by the upwar-dly formed hook portion 29 of the keeper 1 Changes in detail may be made to the specific form of the inventionherein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

L claim:

1. A door fastener comprising a latch proper embodying` a latch arm pivotally carried by the door and havingits free endprojecting past the free edge-of the door, and a keeper carried by the door jamb at the free edge of the door, embodying an upwardly extending inwardly convexed cam portion having an eye formed at itsupper end and terminating at its lower end in a hook shaped pocket for receiving the projecting 4endof the latchiarm.

2. A door fastener comprising Y a latch proper embodying a latch arm pivotally carried by the door and having an outwardly formed eye provided at its free end project# ing past the free edge of the door, and a keeper carried by the door jamb at the free edge of the door, embodying a shank portion for threaded engagement With the jamb, an upwardly formed hook provided at the outer end of the shank and forming a pocket for receiving the eye of the latch arm, and an eye formed above the hook portion for receiving a lock for preventing movement of the latch arm upwardly out of said pocket, said eye 5 serving to guide the latch arm into the pocket.

CHRISTOPHER J. LAWRENCE. 

